Saturday, August 22, 2009

Just discovered this product today at Stater Bros., where they were giving free samples and charging $1 for each bar...they were very very good..so I looked them up...and here is some info and a review that I totally agree with. They have tapioca syrup in them..that must be the secret. I would love to figure out how make something just like this...!!!!!!!

Bear Naked Bar

Each bar is made with 15 to 17 grams of whole grains, with no hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. To find out what I thought of the Chocolaty Cherry flavor, keep reading.

The soft and chewy consistency of this bar reminded me of a homemade cookie, and that is a plus. As you can see from the photo, it's made mostly with whole oats, but you can also see bits of dried cherries, pecans, and almonds. The oats and ground flaxseeds add a fair amount of fiber, and the honey, maple syrup, and molasses add a subtle natural sweetness. The chocolaty flavor complements the cherry perfectly, so it tasted more like a dessert than a granola bar.

This bar is slightly high in the calorie department, but definitely kept my energy levels high throughout a tough cardio workout. If chocolate doesn't float your boat, Bear Naked makes these grain-ola bars in two other flavors, Fruit + Nut and Tropical Fruit. Each bar is less than $2, so they're affordable, tasty, and satisfying.

http://www.fitsugar.com/3503058

Joan looked up tapioca syrup...here is what she found. You can buy it online. I called henry's, Clark's Nutrition Center, and Whole Foods..nonee of them carry this product. It is 5.99 from Barry Farms site..plus 13.OO S & H (yikes)

Tapioca SyrupA food ingredient produced from the cassava tuber or yuca root as it is also known. The tuber provides the base to make Tapioca products, such as pellets (pearls), flour, flakes, or the Tapioca Syrup. High in starch, Tapioca Syrup is commonly used in the production of other foods or as a replacement for corn syrup in baked goods. Tapioca Syrup is used to add sweetness, binding or texture to beverages, baked goods, table syrups, frozen desserts, and candies. When used as a binding agent, Tapioca helps to keep foods such as meats from drying out after they are processed. Tapioca pellets are commonly used as a thickening agent in pie and tart fillings or in soups, sauces and gravies. When cooking with Tapioca products, do not overcook any items with Tapioca as they become starchy and overly stickly. http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38638/tapioca-syrup.asp

Friday, August 21, 2009

A few blocks from our house is a shopping center that includes this place called Fruit Avenue. I never went in there, but lately have been curious. I took a picture of the sign outside..and you can see the words on the window, too. Then I went home and researched the names of these items for sale:

The first picture (after the picture of the store..or I guess you could call it a juice bar.) is of a chamango The word is a combination of champagne and mango. The drinks vary and can be non alcoholic. For example..you can have pureed mango or pureed peach and mix it with something bubbly like 7-up or ginger ale or sprite.

I'm sorry..I just had to make another blueberry pie..this one with tapioca instead of flour. It was like a science experiment...Oh, and I put lots more chopped pecans in the crumb topping and instead of white flour, I used ground up oatmeal. recipe will appear in this very post later in the week....be patient....

I normall do not like granola bars that you buy in the store. But John introduced me to these this summer. From Kashi ...T L C...what is so good about these is the layer of choclate on top and the coconut sprinkled on that nice dark chocolate and the moisture content and texture of the oat-y bar itself. Whoever dreamed up this bar at the Kashi labs deserves a bonus!

I was looking forward to having some Naan for lunch the other day...I was going to smear it with pesto and layer sliced tomatoes and mozarella on it. I could not find it anywhere!!! Hmmm...last time I lost bread, I thought to myself, I found out Cookie snatched it from the counter and ate it.

So I went looking for the wrapper. This was really special naan...bought at Trader Joe's..it was theriMultigrain Tandoori Naan (6 Naan) 18 oz. I paid 3.79 for it. Expensive. But so worth it.

Maybe I missplaced it...maybe I put it on the cupboard, or in the refrigerator..no...no where to be found anywhere...but I was not ready top blame Cookie until I found the empty wrapper. She would not have eaten the wrapper, nor would she have put it in the trash, so it must be laying around the house or yard SOMEWHERE.

Sure enough..John found it in the yard while he was mowing the lawn. Naughty doggie!

Moral of the Story:If you are at our house, do not leave bread close to the edge of the counter.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Well, our local Winco sells Naan, the bread from India..so simple...I did pay 1.98 for this package of 2. John and I split one for an accompaniment (I cut one in half, then buttered the 2 halves after I warmed them up, then folded them to put on the plate so they would keep warm and so they would fit on the plate)to our egg/soyrizo dish we had for supper last night. You warm the Naan up in a skillet with a few drops of water and then smear a little butter on it. I will next time get whole wheat Naan from Trader Joe's ..just tastes better and we do need the fiber.

I tried making Nan once but it did not turn out...I think it was abad recipe...so that is one of my quests. I think they chatrge too much for this bread, so I will learn to make my own.

I'm sorry...I have just been a glutton for blueberry pie. I made another one. Blueberries continue to be 99 cents a pint this week...so for 2.50 worth of berries (this pie called for 5 cups), and 50 cents worth of butter and maybe 20 cents worth of sugar , flour, cinnamon and lemons juice..and my labor of love, I got this pie! It is best, John and I think, cold from the fridge the next day. Of course, it is good warm from the oven, too....we have it both ways.

It has been a very very very good year for blueberries.

By the way, John likes the crumble top pie better (I had used a graham cracker crust for that one, too...) I will add recipes to those other blog posts soon.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Sunday, August 9, 2009

I baked a blueberry buckle this morning. How fun! The recipe called for 4 cups of blueberries, put I put in 5 ! I got 2 1/2 cups berries from each 11 oz. carton (99 cents a carton at Albertson's this week.)Other than that I followed the recipe exactly...except I just used a wooden spoon, not a mixer with a flat paddle. John and I agreed the results were great! Yummy! As of 4:01 pm today, it is half eaten...just by the 2 of us!This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated current issue and also online. Here is the recipe.

Blueberry BuckleMakes one 9-inch cake, serving 8 to 10. Originally Published July 1, 2005.

A blueberry buckle is a blueberry coffeecake with a streusel topping. The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, and some effort will be required to spread it into the prepared cake pan. This buckle is best made with fresh blueberries, not frozen ones, which are too moist. If you'd like to serve the buckle as dessert, consider a vanilla ice cream or whipped cream accompaniment (see related recipe for Cream Cheese Whipped Cream). Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Instructions1. For the streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.

3. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).

5. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place upside-down plate (do not use plate or platter on which you plan to serve the cake) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Re-invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Avoiding sugar may seem like a simple task. Eliminating chocolate, ice cream, candy, and other desserts would get rid of most of your dietary sugar, right? You might think so, but the sugar count has risen in many of our everyday foods. In fact, two-thirds of our sugar comes from manufactured foods - granola bars, fruited yogurt, and even pizza. Decreasing dietary sugar is very hard to do when you don't know what you are looking for. With that conundrum in mind, here's some background information for all the Sherlocks out there who want to detect this sneaky sweet.

Not so SweetDietary sugar has been accused of causing lots of problems. The most obvious are dental problems and obesity; but sugar is also suspected of increased risk for heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer. Yet is sugar guilty as charged?

To uncover the truth, we must look at the way our bodies process food. Most of what we eat is converted into sugar because our bodies only burn calories when food is in sugar form. Insulin is necessary to move this sugar into "storage" parts of the body such as muscle tissue and the liver, where the sugar is converted to glycogen, a fuel for the body.

However, the body only has storage for 2500 calories of glycogen. When these areas become full, insulin transports sugar into other areas, known as fat storage. Because your body is already converting most of the food you eat into sugar, adding lots of additional sugar can cause an overload and an increase in your body's fat stores. Additionally, diets high in calories and increased fat stores contribute to Type II diabetes.

Too Much of a Good ThingThe U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that the average adult not exceed 10 teaspoons of sugar per day, but the typical American eats 30 or more teaspoons daily. This means that almost everyone in the country is eating around 120 pounds of sugar per year - 70 pounds more than the recommended amount. The typical consumer isn't the only person responsible for this, though. Food processing companies know that many Americans have become more health conscious, so they use tactics to hide the amount of sugar. Unless you know what you're looking for, it's hard to know exactly what you're eating.

Sneaky SugarsYou may think that finding the sugar content in a food is pretty easy - after all, ingredients in a food must be listed from most to least on the package. Finding where sugar falls on the list should be pretty simple, but companies get around this rule by using several different types of sugar in small amounts. This way, sugar doesn't appear to be one of the main ingredients.

These food con artists use many disguises to hide sugar content. The following are just some of the aliases for sugar: corn sweetener, maltose, rice syrup, invert sugar, corn syrup, glucose, malt syrup, sucrose, crystalline fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, molasses, brown and raw sugar, dextrose, honey, and maltodextrin syrup. Anything that ends in "ose" can generally be considered a sugar.

Now that you know your sugars, you are in good shape. By purchasing very few foods that have any of sugar's aliases in the top three ingredients, or several of them throughout the list, you are making wise nutrition decisions.

Natural vs. Refined: What's the difference?Don't fall into the trap of thinking that all sugars are "bad guys." Many healthy foods naturally include sugar, for example, milk contains lactose. These natural sugars are less likely to do harm because the body breaks them down differently - it's generally the refined or processed sugar that you need to look out for. Added sugars have a high glycemic index, which means that the sugar is quickly introduced into the bloodstream - the cause of a "sugar high" (and afterward, a "sugar crash"). Natural sugars are helpful substitutes for their counterparts because of their lower glycemic indexes and unlikely contact with chemicals - plus, they are usually packaged with other nutrients, like calcium and vitamins.

Here are some of the "good guys" for replacing added sugar:Stevia: Naturally 300 to 1,000 times sweeter than refined sugar, this herb alternative is the only option that doesn't affect blood sugar levels. It can be found in powder or liquid form. Maple sugar flakes: These can be used instead of both white and brown sugar in baking. The flakes are made by drying pure maple syrup and crushing it.Agave nectar: Made from the Mexican agave plant, it is usually found as a liquid sugar. This option does contain calories, but because it is sweeter than refined sugar, you shouldn't have to add much to please your sweet tooth. It also has a low glycemic index.

Mystery SolvedRight now, you might be thinking, "Okay, now I can't eat anything without feeling guilty," but you don't have to remove sugars completely from your life. By being aware of these sneaky sugars, you can start to pull yourself away from the average 100 pounds of sugar eaten you probably eat annually. LDS Living, Inc., July/August 2009. Photo by Benis Arapovic

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

This is kind of like raw fudge...but this has a frosting recipe with it! Molly and Kelsy will like this

Think that chocolate cake you’ve been eyeing will blow your diet for the week? Think again. Eco Chef Ani Phyo’s desserts are actually good for you. But before we get to the cake, let’s talk about the chocolate.

All chocolate comes from the same place, a berry called a cacao pod, which contains 30 to 40 beans. But there the similarity ends: Low antioxidant conventional cocoa powder is processed with salt to help it dissolve more easily in liquid, while real cacao powder, which is basically ground, raw beans with the fat removed, is a virtual superfood! Real cacao chocolate is full of powerful antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals and supply nutrients like potassium, zinc, magnesium and iron for radiant skin, healthy hair and strong nails. A 2003 study found that a quarter-ounce of cacao each day actually lowers blood pressure, while the caffeine increases alertness and tryptophan makes us feel happier.

No wonder you still want that cake.

So have a piece! Ani only uses cacao in creating the chocolate desserts that are part of her amazing new book, Ani’s Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats. And she believes the stuff not only makes us happier, but healthier. “The desserts in my book are more than treats: They provide healthy, whole food nutrition that you can include in any diet as a meal, snack or dessert,” Ani explains. “Eating more of my desserts will help you become healthier. A traditional slice of cake includes flour, sugar, eggs, butter and trans fats. Mine is made from delicious, vitamin- and antioxidant-rich nuts and fruit. Plus, in the hot summer months, who wants to cook?”

Not us. So we begged Ani to give us the recipe for the super-yummy Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake pictured above. (Then we realized it’s also in the book. Duh.)

RECIPE

Combine three cups of walnuts*, two-thirds of a cup of unsweetened cacao powder or carob powder and one-fourth of a teaspoon of sea salt in a food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed (avoid over processing). Add one cup pitted Medjool dates and pulse until well mixed. Shape into two stackable cakes of desired shape and set aside.

To serve, frost the top of one of the cakes with half of the frosting and top with one-half cup raspberries. Stack the second cake on top and frost the top and side. Serve immediately, or put in the fridge for a few hours to firm up, where it can keep for up to three days.

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is the founder and editor of EcoStiletto. You can find more info about Rachel on our About Us page.

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I discovered this incredible product: See if you can find it in the ice cream section of your grocery store. Six 3 oz. bars...not like a frozen juice pop, but more like a fudgsicle in texture. Bits of coconut to chew on, too. Absolutely the best treat I have had in a long time!

Here is what it says in back of the box.Made especially for Latinos craving the flavors of home,NESTLE Delicias brand brings authentic "paletas" to your freeser.Lusciously creamy and coolly refreshing varieties with intense flavors and real fruit will delight your taste buds. Enjoy each unique NESTLE Delicias flavor.

130 calories per paleta (bar).

Now i get to search for other flavors. Believe me, in this heat, we need treats like these. Forecast for the week: It will probably hit 113 degrees!